I have toyota prius 2006. We are planning a long trip in a week and I checked my spare tire - donut. It is losing air. I checked on some tire dealers and our Toyota dealer and they don't have a donut spare tire. Are there any options available that not will kill me financially? What is the best option? Please advise.
your best bet is to check ebay and salvage yards if cost is important. but why not have yours repaired?
Go get your spare tire fixed. Probably the valve stem or it could be something simple like the valve core is loose.
Repair or salvage yard is definitely the way to go. I recently looked into replacing the donut on a 2003 Echo and a new one is close to $200 at the tire shops around here.
Hey, I agree, try repair first. As fotomoto said, it might be worth it to get a valve stem tool and check to see if it is loose. Seems like the most likely culprit and you can get the tool in any auto parts store for a couple of U.S. dollars and it is a quick, easy fix. Now, being that I am too lazy to pull out all the junk in the hatch of my car....if it comes to getting a new tire, would a full-size spare fit in the spare tire well? That would be the route I would prefer to take if I actually had to replace the tire. Those compact spares are quite expensive as Srellim234 noted. You could get an O.K. full-size spare and a wheel for a lot less than that -- if one will fit. kris
So you've brought it back up to 60 psi and it's dropping fast? You could spritz soapy water on the valve stem, see if it's leaking there. And if that's not the cause, spritz the whole tire, see if you can see any bubbles. How does it look, is the rubber cracking? It is getting on, but otoh spares tend to lead a sheltered life. Just googling "Tirerack temp spare" I found this link. They don't seem to have a database of what tire size go with various cars, though. Check your size and have a look, you can get a handle on replacement tire at least: Compact Temporary Spare Tire at Tire Rack
Mendel, TireRack has the data, they just hide it pretty well at the bottom of the page when you look at Prius tires. So -- $170 shipped to installer is the price for a Prius donut that T/R quoted to me. Then you have to add in the installer fees, somewhere around $20 or so, usually, which takes it up sort of close to the amount quoted by a previous poster BRIDGESTONE TRACOMPA- Size: T125/70D16 96M Sidewall Style: Blackwall UTQG: None Qty: Per Tire: $158.98 Availability: Fewer than 12, Additional Due 11/20/15
Thanks, that's confusing. So, shop by vehicle, then override the tire size on the page where it asks you confirm size, or specify another. With 2006, I used the 125/70D16 spec'd in O/M. Weird though, if I try to post a link it doesn't work. D.O. for yours. Oh well, they're there.
Mendel, it's a bit of hassle, but not much, to find the compact spare on T/R. Search by vehicle and then when your tire comes up, click on the red icon for "don't see your tire size" Which opens up and down below all the optionals, in small print at the bottom is a link to the temp. tire: _____________________________________________________ Optional Wheel Diameter: 16" 195/55-16 Optional Wheel Diameter: 17" 205/45-17 Why would I select an optional size? Or, Specify a Custom Size(s) Tire Size Add a Different Rear Tire Size Temporary/Compact Spare tires are also available for this vehicle in 125/70-16. ______________________________________________________ Oh, and I poked around on PriusChat, the issue of a full-size replacement was discussed quite a bit in April. Apparently a full-size does fit, but only if totally deflated. Sort of "deflates" that option. Kris
Define losing air as the spare tire will tend to lose pressure by diffusion thru the tire wall. I put a special gas in mine to hold better, but I was quite sure there was no valve leak or anything physically wrong. Over on the Prius Plug-in threads they talk a lot about buying a small spare, I want to say Corolla, but I don't know if the same wheel fits 2006. Many Gen4s coming without spares so this may be a popular question.
like mendel says, spray it down with windex or whatever soapy stuff you have handy. if its the valve stem = easy fix. if its leaking at the bead, tire shop can dismount the tire, clean the rim and apply bead sealer. only if there is a hole in the tire will you need to replace it. I don't believe its ok to plug or patch the spare, but I could be wrong-- a patch might be ok. on the other hand, if the PO was a moron and drove around for an extended period on the spare, then definitely replace with new or junkyard spare.
when I (infrequently) check our spare it's dropped to 50 psi or so. I figure that's normal; just bring it back up, to around 62. Fall's a good time for that, with falling temps.
